Brandon Garrison hopes to make mother proud in unexpected journey to Kentucky

Brandon Garrison poses with fans at Kentucky Basketball's Club Blue NIL event - Dr. Michael Huang, Kentucky Sports Radio

Oklahoma is all sophomore center Brandon Garrison has ever known. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, he won two state championships and became a McDonald’s All-American at Del City HS, then signed with Oklahoma State for the next stop in his basketball journey.

An hour and change became 14 hours and change when he decided to enter the transfer portal and take his talents to Lexington as a Wildcat after one year as a Cowboy. Quite the adjustment, one he never expected to make as a young kid out of The Sooner State.

“(The lessons basketball taught me off the court are to) just stay hungry,” Garrison said. “(I’m most proud of) where I am right now, really just making my mom proud. I never knew I’d be here right now playing for Kentucky. I’ll say it was kind of tough just because I went to school in my home state, and then just making this big push 14 hours away from my mom. She was sad, but also happy for me, just trying new things. She was talking me through it and just helped me through the process, and now we’re loving it.”

Now, though, he’s excited to make the most of this opportunity and win at the highest level at Kentucky. That’s why you make a life adjustment of this magnitude and he’s ready to take advantage.

“What I’m most excited about is just the fans, feeling the atmosphere. You want to go win for them,” he added.

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The former blue-chip recruit is also excited to play for Mark Pope, a fellow big man himself back in his playing days who won a national championship and played in the pros — the goals of every young hooper.

Garrison was particularly fond of Pope guarding him one-on-one in practice and coaching him up hands-on, something he’s never experienced as a player.

“It was our first workout with the team,” he said. “He was down there guarding us, it was me and Amari (Williams). We were giving him buckets, talking trash. That part’s different. I’ve never had a head coach actually down there guarding me and just working with me, him doing moves.”

Now he does — and he’ll be suiting up in games for that coach in a matter of weeks.

Meet Brandon Garrison below: